This invention relates to a reading material support, and more particularly to such a support for holding a multiple page bound volume of printed material in an open position while still permitting the turning and holding of a plurality of individual pages of immediate interest in proper reading position while freeing the hands of the user.
Players of keyboard instruments such as pianos, organs and the like often play using a bound volume containing a large number of different songs and/or lengthy pieces of music. When using such a bound volume whether thick or thin a problem exists in keeping the volume open to the pages desired to be read and played. Many different approaches have been used to treat this problem, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,989. In the aforesaid patent a pair of fixed arms hold the book open while a plurality of fingers (37) and (39) hold the pages in place and must be pulled forwardly against the biasing action of a spring while the page is being turned and then releasing the fingers to engage and hold the next page. Such structure is complex and requires the use of both hands which would provide a difficult transition when playing music.
A variety of page turning devices have been suggested, for example, as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 60,333, and 3,343,776. U.S. Pat. No. 3,677,510 provides a holder using a lightweight roller which engages the pages of a book and keeps them from turning until the roller is removed. Once again this type of structure would be unsuitable for a number of applications particularly the playing of music.
In addition to the U.S. Pat. No. 60,333 cited above U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,368,894 and 2,975,544 employ various forms of magnetic structure for holding books open.
Many of these known supports are either mechanically complex or are difficult to operate or require effort and dexterity beyond the capability of the user. Additionally, many of these devices are simply not suitable for those uses requiring the users hands to be free for performing other activities like playing music.